Press arrangement



Aug. 31, 1948. s, BRATTON 2,448,295

PRESS ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 1, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 G Q a) (Y Q N Swnuel M.Bra11ozz, I

Aug. 31, 1948. s. M. BRATTON PRESS ARRANGEMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 1,-1942 1948. s. M. BRATTON 2,448,295

PRESS ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 1, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 S MEI-allow. I

Aug. 31, 1948. s. M. BRATTON I 2,448,295

' rmass ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 1, 1942 ,5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I gin/112mm i Scunuel M Brat/bow Aug. 31, 1948.

Filed Sept. 1, 1942 s. M. BRATTON 2,448,295

PRES S ARRANGEMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 31, 1948 UNITED sr-Ar-Es PATENT or F l c E 1 2,448,295. PRESSARRANGEMENT -Samuel Brattong' Wilming-ton; Del., assignor to The :Pusey Sn-Jones .Corporation;.Wilmington, J l)el., .a corporationof Delaware .A-pplieation s eptember 1, 1942 .Serial No. 456,932

Section a a mi l,n rme lv e ieh si b tween the web-forming ,machine and the drying rolls.

The pri ar .Q i t t nventio is to 'servespace in the-mill, to the endtthat the area occupied by the press rolls andtheirielts may be decreased, longitudinally of the line of machinery,

thereby making it possible-to'increase the number of drying rolls sojthatpthe'speedjoi the entire line mayv be increased. In numerous paper mills, a limitation has been placed uponthespeed of io i of b-, ormine.-m e i e.- yithe number o d yin ol s-in therleht, sih eif the w b pap r r ye s. tee. ap dl thr ueh'iherlrving rolls, it is not suificientlydri de.lillery end. In many cases, it is impossible to add adiditional stands of drying rolls at therear or delivry nd of t e e. b eau eeilaeh .Q space or for other reasons. "The presentjinvention; by shortening the space occupied by press rolls, ahead of the dryin .rql s i t e lin m kesgit entirely feasibl to ad add tiona s ts-of d yin rol t t e rwa d endt the d i e.. .eet 2n. thereby making it possible to increase the speed f t e v ew b an reet yineree inslth daily productionof the mill.

' Another object of the invention is to eliininate v the heavy, longitudinally elongated b ell cra nk levers conventionally, employed tosupport the journals for-the upper press rolls. Anotherob ject is to substitute for'the conventional-press r011 sup orting means, a support which, occupies less space, longitudinally ofthe line, thereby making it 'possibleto mount a pluralityof-standsfof press rolls closer together than heretofore;

Another object of the invention isto'provide means for handling a-plurality-of press felts, in

such manner that a plurality of sets of press rolls may be positioned closer togetherythan heretm fore, without-having one felt or its guiding means interfere with another. To this end,- the inventionprovides means; for guiding, tensioning and tracking-the felt, below the mill floorso that certain of these means, instead of being positioned longitudinally between the sets of rollsar e positionedsubstantially therebelow.

A further object of the-invention-isto'provide improved means for suspending the upper press 7 .caurinthe ae em an inee r w hs si ned :to Q erete .W h v i u si ihi r machi Usher and furtherobjects and advantages of the inventionwill be apparent to those skilled in the art, from a-consideration of the specific embodiment of the invention shown in themcompanying drawings anddescription below.

-In thedrawings: -Figure 1 is a somewhatdiagrammatic .sideelevation of the apparatus constructed in accordance'with the invention, taken from the tending side;

Figure 2..is an enlarged elevation: oiatheupper portiomof Figurel; -Figure2ais a similar yiewof the.lower;portion;

"Figure 3 is a verticalv section .takensubstantially EigureUSa is a. similar View; takenpn, line 3 of :FigureZa.

."Figure 4. is anenlarged sectionfg-taken onsline 41-4 of Figure 2, and

Figure; 5 is; a fra mentary; detail. showing; a de- .vice for raising the.1ower press rolls.

Th -app ra u hown. o wha dia rammat ehe nd 1 Wid h. Q 91 13 th inv t enis n t-.. e t 1 f r u e n em het e w th: alieufiri ie thi e-nee iti v. be e w hae ihder meeh he r thyeth r ime et'ri e m ne, ap a atu Sincetheweb-formingapparatus doesnot .cpnstitute a part of the inventionoi. the present application, itis not. shown in the drawings. The couchurollat ,thedelivery end of the ,machine,

:hat h e Wi eZM i howe e i rep ese t ,d a amma i y t!"- Th et W b serer. i i n e s i. re t ie su fac tith eu h .rei bv a mu h drew- 91 Ilen delivered to a felt" I3 trained over a first guide roll [4; then over afirst suction press rd-ll I5 and below a first upperpressroll- 6. A substantial amountof water will beextracted frorn-thepaper web as it passes with the felt between. rolls I 5 and I6 as is .well understood in the. art.

' The-felt l'3 is guided downwardly-over a guide "roll l-l, below the machine bed l8tand-. the -mill floor to a tensioning apparatus, represented generally at l9. From the tensioning apparatus, the felt is guided along a horizontal run by guide rolls 20, 21 where it is subjected to the effect of a felt tracking, centering or guiding apparatus represented generally at 22.

From the guide r011 2|, the felt is led rearwardly around another guide roll 23 and then forwardly along another horizontal run to a manually adjustable centering and tracking guide roll 24, from which point the felt travels upwardly to first guide roll l4. run between rolls 23, 24, the felt is treated by a felt conditioning apparatus represented generally at 25 which subjects the felt first to a water bath and then to suction, to clean and to partially dry the same.

The web of paper leaves the first felt l3 shortly after its passage between the rolls l5, l6 and is guided over a vertically adjustable roll 28, from which point it is delivered to the second felt l3a, guided over a guide roll Ma and a second lower suction press roll [a. The second felt and the web of paper pass between the lower suction press roll I5a and an upper press roll I5a, whereupon the felt is led downwardly over a guide roll Ila to felt tensioning, guiding and conditioning devices similar to these previously referred to.

The paper web leaves the felt 13a shortly after its passage through the press rolls l5a and Mia and is led directly between a pair of smoothing rolls 3!), 3i. From the lower roll 30, the paper is delivered to the first drying roll 32, being pressed against the surface thereof by a drying roll felt 33. The web then passes to the first upper drying roll 34, between its surface and an upper drying roll felt 35. The paper passes back and forth alternately between the upper and lower series of drying .rolls, in accordance with conventional practice.

The press roll section of the paper making line in accordance with the present invention is more closely coupled than in accordance with the prior art. For instance, in a typical installation the space between the suction couch roll to the first lower drying r011 has been reduced from thirty-six feet, six inches to twenty-five feet. This advantageous result is accomplished by the employment of novel means for supporting the rolls and associated parts. From the bed IS on the mill fioor, a pair of transversely spaced columns or posts project upwardly, one of which is shown at 40. The columns have platforms 42 at their upper ends supporting the forward ends of longitudinal beam structures 43, M, the latter being supported at their rear ends by similar platforms 45 on the upper ends of transversely spaced posts or columns 46. The beam structures 43, 44 are interconnected at their ends by transverse beams 41, 48 and at intermediate points by transverse tie bars or pipes 49, 50, thus providing a strong, rigid, overhead bridge structure.

As shown in Figure 4, each beam structure is preferably made up from a pair of channel members 5|, 52, standing on edge with their upper and lower flanges interconnected by steel plates 53, 54, welded thereto, thereby providing an extremely rigid, box-like structure. At three spaced sections, the upper flanges of the channels carry slideways 55, 55, 55a, 56a and 55b, 5%, each slideway having an upwardly facing keyhole shaped or re-entrant channel 51 therein. Similarly, the lower flanges of the channel members carry downwardly facing slideways 58, 59 and In the lower horizontal.

58a, 59a, each having a re-entrant channel formed therein.

Slideways 58, 59 support a depending hanger 50 which is provided with an upper flange 6| having a rib 62 received in the channel of slideway 58 for centering purposes. The flange is drilled at a plurality of points along each edge, for the reception of bolts 63 having square heads 64 disposed in the re-entrant channel in the slideways and secured in position by nuts 65.

, Hence, the hangers 60 are firmly clamped in position below the beam structures.

Each depending hanger (Fig. 2) has a front vertical face 10, defined by laterally projecting flanges, adapted to constitute a slideway for a horizontally projecting bracket H which carries the journal 12 for the first upper press roll It.

The depending hanger 60a, carried by the slideways 58a, 59a is substantially identical to the hanger 60 and supports a bracket Ha for the second upper press roll lBa in a similar manner.

The upper slideways 55, 56 support transverse members 15, 16, carrying a cylinder 11, the transverse members being secured to the slideways by bolts 18 having square heads 19 disposed in the re-entrant channels 51 and nuts 80 on their shanks. Thus, the cylinder may be firmly clamped in adjusted position upon the upper slideways, by tightening the nuts 80.

Each cylinder is provided with an internal piston, not shown, connected by a piston rod to the journal bracket H positioned therebelow. The lower end of the piston rod 85 carries a shoe 35 having a longitudinally extending flange disposed in a similarly shaped, re-entrant channel 8'! integral with the journal bracket H, thereby providing a sliding fit between the .parts'in a longitudinal direction.

The lower suction press roll [5 is supported in a pair of transversely spaced journal frames 90, mounted upon blocking pieces 9| carried by pedestals 92, supported upon the foundation plate or bed l8. The pedestal on the tending side is provided with a laterally projecting suction conduit 93 for the drainage of water and the extraction of air from the suction box associated with the roll, as is well understood in the art.

Each journal frame is provided. on its rear vertical face with a slideway 95 having a reentrant groove thereon, to which there is bolted for vertical adjustment 2. rearwardly projecting arm 91 carrying a journal 98 for the felt guide roll ll. Hence, the vertical position of the arms 91 and the guide roll I! may be adjusted at will. It is to be noted that the felt guide roll is supported by means carried by the support for the lower press roll, thus providing an unusually compact construction.

The supporting structure for the second lower suction press roll 15a is substantially identical to that provided for the first lower suction roll. In addition to the rearwardly projecting arms did for the felt guide roll Ha the bearing frames 50a carry forwardly projecting arms IEO, secured to a slideway IE! on the vertical front face of each bearing frame. The arms H38 carry journals N12 for the felt guide roll [4a.

If desired, the first felt guide roll l4 may be similarly supported from the bearing frames 98, but it is usually preferable to mount the same on journals I55 supported for horizontal adjustment on vertically adjustable-brackets IE5, slidably connected to the columns 45. This arrangement brings the felt nearer to the couch roll l5 and leaves the wet web unsupported throughout .tT-he lifting arrangement for .the: couch; draw rol q 1 2 is: also-married by the columns. Y This arrangement preferably comprises parallel links Jill, I I3-connected by atlever I09 tothe piston rod LI 0. 0f anair cylinder I I I ,;so that, when the roll =.I-2. is to be lifted, itwill swing rearwardly away from the couch roll I .0, I as iewell understood in the art.

,Itwill-beseen that as aresult of ;,the.-mo unting of the two pairs of cylinders--17; lla andthe pairs 50f. hangers 60 166;: on theirrespective slideways, :the longitudinalpositions :of the 'UPPQIQPIBSS'IOHS l5, LI B may-fibe adjustedrelative ,to thelcwer suction-press wells 5a; which :are .journalled for-rotation about fixed axes. T-hus thepoint of a contact between :the upper rolls-and; the web of apaper travelling. on the-felt over theylower rolls .m-ay be ivaried; to suit different conditions, .The J ,cylinders-jand brackets carry ;-p0inters vII-'1, Ht, cooperating with-fixed: scales I.I l,-v l-I-,8,-o n the :supporting-slideways, to indicate the positions of the-slidable-parts and toad-just them in proper 'relationztoeach other.

The lowersmoothing roll Ellis preferably" jour- Ro led. in supports I mounted upon offset portions 4 2 I of the columns 46. The upper. smoothdng' roll 3 I is journalled inbrackets -'I 1b,: similarly toithebrackets -.'II and -II a,-but mounted :Eorver v =tic'alslid-ingmovement upon slidewaysflilb carried Joy the columns. 46. The brackets Iibv are .each gconnected by a piston rod-85b to a piston mounted -in acylinder *TIb, carried by-the upper bridge .structurein a manner similar'to the cylinders I! and 'l'la. Although the cylinders "I'll; need not bc mounted for. adjustment longitudinally. of their supporting beams, they are preferably substantial duplicates ofthe-other cylinders-and are mounted .in:v the i same manner in order :that the parts may I be .of substantially identical construction Y and z interchangeable.

Compressed air may be delivered to opposite ends of .each cylinder 11, 11a, and Rh-selectively, from/any suitable Source, through inlet pipes shown diagrammatically-at 8| 82; -8 Ia,- 82a; 8lb and 32b.

: .Thesuction rolls I 5 .and I do are provided with troughs I25, 1250. to catchanywater that is not withdrawn through the internal suction boxes. Each trough is connected to a; drainalfidas shown .liig.- 3,.so that the water andpulp. may. be recovered.

. The upper-press rolls I6 and Ida. are provided with oscillating doctor assemblies I28,---!;28a, including. ductor :blades. I29, Idea, and/crumb catchers I; Idea. Since oscillating doctor as- .semblies of this type are known in the art,-their details .of. construction neednot be described :herein. Itcshould be-noted that these-assemblies are mounted upon the journal bracket II, 'IId for vertical -movementwith the rolls, when'the latter-are raised and' lowered,

..Eachdependinghangerfifl is providedwith a rearwardly projecting lug-I32 which carries a -r-ea-rwardlyprojecting bar I:33,-acting as a sup- .porh-for-transversely extending floorboards let, constituting atending platform which maybe reachedv by ,a ladder I34.

.=Ahead ofwthe first-upper roll I5, there .is =,a similar. tending platform. I supported" by a framework-secured :tothe vertical columns .40. Av workman may/reach. this platform by. aaladder ii.3, a portion of which. is shown in Fig. 2.

' M n e ro dq e rea liIt ne heae channel:members"M0, MI. .Hence awhenqfluid -isiintroducedinitherlower ends, of-the cylinders :11,

;TI -I .;.the piston rods will lift :the brackets and,

through the. chains M2, the; journal frames 91!,

making it possible to place a new felt imposition, 20 according to procedure well known in-thezart.

' .FIlhe :various.- feltr handling devices -;.positioned below." the mill floor-may be conventional inrtheir details of". construction.v but 1 their. arrangement. relative to each other, is aradical departure from .g5-'prior practices. In accordance with standard practice, prior to "the present-invention, the felt tensioning devices were positionedbelow' the floor or in a pit, but-theother instrumentalities;,-such as: the felt :ceriteringor tracking mechanism and 39.1;h6' felt conditioner,"were positioned above the fioor;. thereby makingcit necessary-to .raise.the press rolls considerably higher than would otherwisebe desired. Moreover, since the tracking devices and felt conditionerswere positioned one ;,;35 behindthe other in a single generally horizon- .tal'run ofthexfeltythe press rollstandswere necessarily spaced asubstantial distanceapart, xth'ereby' occupying an undesirably large space, longitudinally of the line.

According to then present invention,r.the :auto- 'matic tracking or centering device-22 is .positioned belowv the floor, substantially 'in' vertical alignment with the; press rolls. .Moreover, the felt conditioner 25 :and; the: manually adjustable 45, tracking. devic e24; ar'erpositioned; belowi;th,e door and on asecond horizontal run, below the automatic tracking-device .22. By thus doublingback thefelt in its line of travel, a very substantial amount of space, longitudinally of the line; is conserved.

The tensioning device 19. comprises a roll I50 journalled in a pairof spaced bearings -I5I vmounted on carriages I52, slidable onvertically extending, inclined ways I53 and controlled by '55 threaded shafts I54. The shafts I54 are .con-

nected by intermeshi-ng gears to a cross shaft-I55 'which may be controlled bye-hand wheel-I56 voraii electric -;motor, so that the vertical 'positions of; thecarriage at I52 may bercontrolledat 60 will, to place the desired amount of .tension on the felt :I 3.

. The tracking or centering device 22 isof known construction and includes a felt-;fee1er (Land means IGI controlled thereby.for.shif;ting 'one F end of the tracking'roll I62 forward-1y or rearwardly, to;shift the blanket toward oneside or the other.

The felt cond-itioner25, positioned belowthe lower horizontal run of 'the blanket, between .rolls 23 and-.24 comprises a ,laterally oscillating box I65- connected to a source of suction; and a water, spray device to assist in cleaning the. felt.

The manually adjustable tracking or-centering roll 7 2 4 has one .or its I end .jour-nals I68 mounted -for g for wardi or I rearward I movement. up .a

threaded shaft i6 9, in order to compensate for any long range or substantially permanent creeping tendency of the particular blanket or felt being used. The automatic tracking device 22, of course, compensates for local irregularities in the felt in a known manner.

As pointed out above, the felt is guided upwardly from the roll 24 to the first guide rol-l M, where it receives the web of paper from the couch draw roll l2.

Although the present invention has been described with considerable particularity, by reference to the specific embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it must be understood that it is not limited to the details of construction shown therein and described above, but includes all modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

I claim:

1. A press section for use in a paper mill between the making machine and the drying rolls, comprising a bridge positioned above the mill floor, two pairs of depending hangers having vertically disposed slideways carried by the bridge, vertically movable brackets on the slideways, an upper press roll carried by each pair of brackets,

means on the bridge for raising, lowering and applying positive downward pressure to the brackets and the rolls carried thereby, and a lower press roll below each of the upper rolls.

2. A press section for use in a paper mill between the makingmachine and the drying rolls, comprising a pair of parallel, longitudinal beams spaced above the mill floor, two pairs of transversely aligned depending hangers carried by the beams for longitudinal adjustment thereon, a vertically adjustable longitudinally extending bracket carried by each hanger, an upper press roll journalled in each transversally aligned pair of brackets, means mounted on said beams for raising, lowering and applying positive downward pressure to the brackets and the rolls carried thereby, and a lower press roll supported by the mill floor below each of the upper rolls.

3. For use in a paper mill having a mill floor, a press assembly positioned between the making machine and the drying rolls, comprising parallel, longitudinal beam structures spaced above the mill floor, a pair of transversely aligned depending hangers suspended from the beam structures for longitudinal adjustment with respect thereto, a vertically movable, longitudinally projecting bracket connected to and guided by each hanger, a cylinder-piston assembly mounted upon each beam structure for longitudinal adjustment thereon above each bracket, a connection from each assembly to the bracket therebelow, whereby the hangers and the assemblies may be adjusted longitudinally along the beam structure, an upper press roll carried by the brackets for adjustment therewith, and a lower press roll supported by the floor below the upper roll and journalled about a fixed aXis.

4. For use in a paper mill having a mill floor, a press assembly positioned between the making machine and the drying rolls, comprising parallel, longitudinal beam structures spaced above the mill floor, a pair of transversely aligned hangers suspended from the beam structures for longitudinal adjustment with respect thereto, a vertically movable longitudinally projecting bracket associated with each hanger, a cylinder mounted upon each beam structure for longitudinal adjustment thereon above each bracket, a piston in each cylinder connected to the bracket therebelow, whereby the hangers, the cylinders and the pistons may be adjusted longitudinally along the beam structure, an upper press roll carried by the brackets for adjustment therewith, a lower press roll supported by the floor below the upper roll and journalled about a fixed axis, and means for introducing fluid into opposite ends of the cylinder, selectively, to raise or lower the piston, the brackets and the upper press roll, or to apply positive downward pressure thereto.

5. A press assembly for use in a paper mill between the making machine and the drying rolls, comprising a pair of parallel, longitudinal beam structures each including a pair of channel members standing on edge in spaced apart relation with their flanges inter-connected, upper and lower slideways secured to said beam structures, a depending hanger suspended from each lower slideway and adjustable longitudinally therealong, a bracket mounted for vertical adjustment on each hanger, a piston-cylinder assembly mounted on each upper slideway and including a rod extending between the channel members and connected tothe bracket therebelow, an upper press roll journalled on the brackets, and a lower press roll mounted therebelow and journalled for rotation on a fixed axis.

6, For use in a paper mill having a mill floor, a press assembly positioned between the making machine and the drying rolls, comprising a bridge spaced above the mill floor, a pair of lower rolls supported by the floor below the bridge, a pair of upper press rolls suspended from the bridge, means carried by the bridge for applying positive downward pressure to the upper rolls, a press felt for each pair of upper and lower press rolls, guiding means below the floor for the felts, including tensioning means, means for guiding each felt along a substantially horizontal run below the floor and in substantially vertical alignment with the press rolls thereabove, and tracking means operatin on the felt in said horizontal run.

7. For use in a paper mill having a mill floor, a press assembly positioned between the making machine and the drying rolls, comprising a bridge spaced above the mill floor, a pair of lower press rolls supported by the floor below the bridge, a pair of upper press rolls suspended from the bridge, means carried by the bridge for applying positive downward pressure to the upper rolls, a press felt for each pair of upper and lower press rolls, and means below the floor for tensioning, guiding, tracking, and conditioning each 'of the felts, each of said means including a substantially vertically positioned tensioning assembly, a pair of rolls leading the felt along a substantially horizontal run, tracking and centering means operating on the felt in said horizontal run, and another roll for guiding the felt upwardly toward the press roll.

8. For use in a paper mill having a mill floor, a press assembly positioned between the making machine and the drying rolls, comprising two pairs of press rolls closely spaced together longitudinally of the path of movement of the web of paper, an individual endless felt trained for movement between the rolls of each pair, tensioning and guiding means for each felt serving to direct each felt along a horizontal run below the mill floor, and automatic felt tracking means operating on each felt in said horizontal run.

9. For use in a paper mill having a mill floor, a press section between the making machine and the drying rolls, comprising two pairs of press 9 rolls closely spaced together longitudinally of the path of movement of the web of paper, an individual endless felt trained for movement between the rolls of each pair, tensioning and guiding means for each felt serving to direct each felt along two separate horizontal runs below the mill floor, automatic felt tracking means below the floor operating on each felt in one of said horizontal runs, and. a felt conditioning apparatus operating on each felt in the other horizontal run.

SAMUEL M. BRATTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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